Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| weggehen | /ˈvɛkɡeːən/ |
| fortgehen | /ˈfɔʁtˌɡeːən/ |
| wegfahren | [ˈvɛkfaːrən] (narrow) |
| fortfahren | /ˈfɔʁtˌfaːʁən/ |
The primary way to express the action of departing or leaving a place is by using the verb weggehen. If you are issuing a command to someone to leave, you can use the interjections geh weg! or gehen Sie weg.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb weggehen is composed of weg (away) and gehen (to go).
Which one should you use?
While weggehen is the standard term, fortgehen is often used to imply a more permanent departure or to convey a more formal sense of leaving. If the departure involves traveling by a vehicle such as a car or bike, you should use wegfahren instead of weggehen.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
When commanding someone to leave, the level of formality changes the phrase: Gehen Sie weg! or Bitte gehen Sie weg! are polite and formal ways to say 'Go away!' or 'Please go away!' Conversely, Geh weg! is the informal and singular way to say 'Go away!' and it is often used as a blunt or rude command to tell someone to leave you alone. For even more informal or aggressive situations, you might hear Verschwinde! (Disappear!) or Hau ab! (Get lost!).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Note that fortfahren is a form that can also mean to depart, but it is very commonly used to mean 'to continue' or 'to proceed' with an action.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈvɛkɡeːən/
Did you know?
- The command Hau ab! literally translates to 'hit off' or 'strike off' but is used as a slang way to tell someone to get lost.
- The German verb wegfahren shares a common linguistic ancestor with the English word 'wayfare' which refers to traveling on foot or by vehicle.
- If you tell a German colleague to fortfahren, you might not be telling them to leave, but actually asking them to 'continue' their current task.
Examples in context
- Ich will nicht weggehen.I don't want to go away.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire not to depart.Tatoeba #4044187 by pullnosemans, translation #3826450 by CK
- Tom will nicht weggehen.Tom doesn't want to go away.This sentence is useful for expressing that Tom does not want to depart.Tatoeba #4044188 by pullnosemans, translation #3826449 by CK
- Ich werde niemals weggehen.I will never go away.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone will never depart.Tatoeba #5400087 by Yakuwari, translation #5399552 by krzysiek
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Lukas are at a party they don't enjoy.
- SarahWann wollen wir weggehen?When do we want to leave?
- LukasIch möchte jetzt weggehen.I want to leave now.
- SarahLass uns einfach weggehen.Let's just go away.
- LukasJa, gehen wir weg.Yes, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “go away” translations and entries weggehen, fortgehen, wegfahren, fortfahren, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fortfahren, fortgehen, wegfahren, weggehen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
